


The Unattraction

by sallyhenslton (sallyhiddleson)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Co-workers, F/M, Idiots in Love, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:48:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27278992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sallyhiddleson/pseuds/sallyhenslton
Summary: Hermione has a crush and it determine to do everything to prove to herself just how unattractive that crush is.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 2
Kudos: 83





	The Unattraction

Hermione liked her job. It was a lot more paperwork than she imagined, back when she was at Hogwarts picturing arguing in front of the Wizengamont to acquire rights for the often defensive-less magical creatures. She rarely got to argue in front of the Wizengamont and spent most of her days trying to find compromises between magical creatures and politicians (a sometimes seemingly impossible task) and revising bills. But she got to make a difference so she loved her job none-the-less. 

The only thing she didn’t particularly like was Draco Malfoy. Working with him was unexpected. It turns out he had two options for his court-mandated probation internship, magical policy with Percy and Regulations of Magical Creatures with Hermione. He always told her she seemed like the lesser of two evils. “Rather deal with a bushy-haired swot than a Weasel” were his exact words. She actually didn’t mind working with him all that much. He was hard working and had a good attention to details. And his Slytherin-side came into handy quite often when dealing with Ministry bureaucrats and politicians. The reason she didn’t like working with him was, well, she had started to like him a little too much. He had grown into his features and what she used to find pointy and off-putting, she now found chiseled and handsome. It also didn’t help that he had grown considerably since Hogworts, and she had always had a weakness for tall men. 

She had developed quite the crush in their two years of working together. (He ended up taking a real job after his one year court-ordered internship was over, much to her surprise). At first it wasn’t an issue, she would sneak a few glances of him at work and she would have some fun fantasies to fill the duller parts of the day. And then, after about a year, she realized it was starting to become an issue.

Her and Ron had broken up a few months after Hogwarts. She was working non-stop trying to figure out all the ins and outs of her new position and Ron was beater for the Chudley Cannons. Their jobs alone made any serious relationship nearly impossible, but after a few months of trying to make it work physically, they realized they were better off as friends. Currently Ron was traveling around the world, enjoying the status (and women) that came with being not only a quidditch player, but a world-famous war hero. Hermione was happy for him, it seemed that debauchery was some sort of release for him to make up for the teenage years he lost due to the war, and he was careful to never take it too far so she didn’t worry. After the break-up, she had tried dating for a while. Her and Cormac had a few month fling. She had even once allowed herself to take a two-week vacation to the South of France with Viktor. But her last real date had been in almost a year. And it was really all Draco’s fault. 

Her friends had tried to set her up a few times, most of them happily shacked up at this point, but it never stuck. It was only six months ago that she realized it was because of him, because on every one of those stupid dates she had been comparing all the men to Draco. She mentally compared heights when she first saw her dates walk in, she compared their eye color to his stormy grey, she compared their intelligence levels during dinner conversations. She compared everything, and none of the other men ever measured up. When she finally realized what she was doing she realized that none of the other men ever would measure up, because it was Draco who she wanted. So she stopped going on dates entirely at that point. Once the occasional date trickled to none, her friends became really concerned, but she brushed them all off. She knew she wouldn’t be happy with anyone else until she got over Draco, and she wasn’t a bad person, she didn’t want to put all those perfectly nice men through that. So she pines. She stares at him at work, to the point where it was almost a real hindrance. She gets in 5 minutes earlier than him every morning just to see him walk in and smile when he sees she’s the only other one already there. She invites him to every vaguely work-related night out, even though he almost never says yes. She savors every little moment she can because she’s pretty sure that’s all she’s ever going to get. 

Because she knows he doesn’t like her. Or at least has a very strong sense that her feelings aren't reciprocated. He’s always perfectly polite. They sometimes bicker like they used to, but it's different because it lacks the same bite. They no longer are trying to hurt each other’s feelings. At this point, most of their arguments actually end in a decent strategy that uses the best of both of their abilities, so none of their co-workers can even complain. But he’s a total flirt, with almost everyone in the office, but her of course. At first she didn’t mind, she was glad he didn’t think of her like all of the other girls, the young and beautiful witches he was often seen rotating through in the wizarding gossip magazines. Then it infuriated her, she was smart and professional but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be sexy damnit. So she started wearing tighter and shorter clothing to work. It was all still professional of course, but it was more in line with what the secretaries, whose desks he was always leaning over, wear. But the new clothes seemed to put him off more, He got cold, they spoke for professional reasons and that was pretty much it. So she went back to normal and their tentative friendship resumed, but she realized he would never return her feelings. 

So her current plan was trying to find ways to make herself unlike him. It wasn’t working. Most of the pratty behaviors he had back in school were gone and 85% of the time he treated her like a total gentleman. The other 15% of the time he could still be a sarcastic shit, but she had grown to love that. Their arguments were product and he challenged her wit like few others did, and she liked that. 

But she could never get him outside of work, and she was sure that then some of those prat behaviors would come back and her two-year crush on Draco Malfoy would be a drunken confess to her friends that they’d all laugh at in a few years. So she had become rather relentless in inviting him out to group events, begging for him to say yes, and hoping that he’d eventually cave. 

And that’s exactly what she found herself doing that Friday night. 

“C’mon Malfoy, please, I promise it will be fun. I know you would rather not be around my friends too long, but your friends are all going to, I mean god-sake’s Malfoy we basically have the same friends at this point it really is becoming an issue. Plus they’re all rotten at trivia anyways and I know you were second to me for most of Hogwarts so you’d actually be useful. I’’ll even buy your dr-” 

“Okay. Fine.” He cut her off.

“inks... Oh wow, really?”

“Yeah sure, I mean what do I have to lose? You're buying my drinks and with both of us at trivia we might actually win something. You know how I feel about losing.”

Hermione was almost stunned to silence. “Ok…. we are meeting at the Leaky at 8:30 and trivia starts at 9, so I’ll see you there I guess.” 

“You will indeed.” And with a whink, he was off and out of the office, leaving her standing there with the fluttering low in her stomach. 

\----------------------------------

Draco was late. Hermione was starting to worry he wasn’t going to show. She told him 8:30 right? Trivia didn’t start until 9, but pre-game drinks were customary, surely Malfoy must have heard something about it from his friends, 

But it was 8:45 and there was no Malfoy. Oh well, she thinks, there goes that plan. 

But then there he is, stepping through the floo right as the clock turns to 8:46. 

“Oy, lad you made it!” Blaise was ecstatic. “Hermione mentioned something about you coming, but we didn’t believe you’d actually show.” 

“Well Granger was rather convincing. She’s been on me to come to one of your trivia nights for weeks.” Draco replied as he dusted the powder out of his hair. He pulled up a chair at the table, the only one left, the one right next to Hermione. 

Oh shit, she thought, well I mean at least I do get the best view to observe then…

“Well mate were just glad you made it with you and Hermione were gonna kill tonight.” 

Draco let out a laugh and Hermione couldn’t help but stare. She loved the way he looked when he laughed. Conversation starts up around her as she observes, her friends ribbing Draco and his friends half-heartedly protecting him. She expects to be annoyed by the whole thing, but she finds it rather charming, 

Damnit, she thinks, if this doesn't work will anything?

“Granger what do you think?”

Oh shit Draco’s speaking to her.  
“Sorry, I didn’t catch that, what were we talking about again?”

Harry lets out a low whistle, “Wow, Hermione doesn’t immediately have an answer? That’s a first.” 

She gives him a playful slap. 

Pansy steps in, giving Hermione a devious look “We were just talking about how everyone here is paired up but you and Draco it seems. Draco’s attempting to defend his singleness but I think he should let us set him up. What do you think?”

She loved Pansy, she really did, but it was moments like these where she regretted being friends with her. Of course most of the group knew about her crush on Draco, she had always pleaded with them not to meddle, but she should have known the Slytherins wouldn’t listen. 

“I don’t know, I personally agree with Draco, I rather like being single.” 

“Of course you agree with Draco.” Theo rolls his eyes and lets out a snort. 

Hermione sends him a death glare. She sees Draco give her a funny look out of the corner of her eye, 

“Anyways,” Ginny interrupts, “the games about to start and I need a refill. Drinks anyone?” 

Thank god for Ginny, Hermione thinks. She sends her a small smile. 

The table erupts into conversation as everyone tries to get their drink order in before Ginny heads up to the bar. Hermione’s glad for the change of conversation, but she can feel Draco staring at her. He’s just sitting there silently, She feels heat all over her body. She knows she has to be beat red right now. 

Oh god, she thinks, why did I do this? This is going to be such a long night.

\-------------------------------------

Trivia goes well. Blaise is right, they did dominate. By the end of the night everyone was drunk and happy, except Hermione, who was only a little bit tipsy and mostly just felt embarrassed. Draco had been staring at her all night, and as a result she’d been as red as a tomato the entire night. She blamed it on the alcohol, but everyone had to have known it was a lie. She was thankful they didn’t question it further. 

She was dwelling in her embarrassment so much she almost didn’t notice the group getting up and starting to say their good-byes for the night. 

She put on her coat and went to grab her purse when Draco grabbed her arm. 

“Granger, can you stay around for a second? I need to ask you something.” 

She wanted to say no, fearing he had figured her out from her friends’ not so obvious hints from earlier in the night and rejection was to come, but their friends were already halfway out the floo so she guessed she already had stuck around. 

“Sure. What do you want to talk about?” 

“Can we go outside for a minute? This is something I’d prefer to talk about in private.”

She nodded. She could feel the tears forming in the back of her eyes. Oh god, this is going to be bad. 

She wordlessly follows him out of the bar, giving him a small but forced smile when he holds the door open for her. And then they’re standing out in an empty Diagon Alley. 

“So what is it that you wanted to talk to me about?” 

He just stares at her. She can’t make eye-contact. She just stares out the ground and shuffles her feet.

He’s rejecting me and he doesn’t even want to do that? How embarrassing. I’m gonna have to find a new job, I can’t work with him after this, I don’t even know if I can look him in the eye anymor-

Her thoughts were cut off when a hand cupped her cheek. She looked up in surprise. 

“Hermione, I..” he started, “I’ve wanted to do this for so long. I never thought you’d be interested. Pansy always said I was a fool, but it wasn’t till I really saw, tonight, how you looked at me that I realized maybe you feel the way I do. God Hermione I think I’m in love with you and I have so much I want to say but I have to ask before anything, can I kiss you?” 

Hermione just looks at him, stunned. Never in her wildest imagination (well only in her wildest imagination) would Draco Malfoy be cupping her cheek and asking to kiss her, She wanted to say yes, but it felt like all the breath was out of her lungs. He loved her? 

She felt him start to pull his hand away, he was blushing furiously. “I’m sorry if I misread this situation Hermione. I hope we can still work together, I really respect you professionally and…” She knew he was rambling, but he stayed close to her after he pulled his hand away and she could feel the warmth from his body. 

God, she wanted to kiss him so bad and before she could overthink it, she did. He was still at first, but then he was kissing her back with full-force, giving her a kiss she had only dreamed about. They continued like that for a few minutes, kissing outside the Leaky Cauldron like they wanted to devour each other. Eventually, they pulled apart to catch their breath. 

“Draco, I think I might love you too.”


End file.
